Deadline reports Zack Snyder’s superhero epic, which pitches Ben Affleck’s caped crusader against Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, is outpacing the 2012 films The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, and last year’s Fast & Furious 7, in terms of upfront receipts. All three movies breached the $1bn (£706m) mark worldwide, with the latter pair both scoring more than $1.5bn.

Batman v Superman has reportedly posted advance US sales of $20m-$25m, which tallies with Deadline’s previous prediction of a global opening weekend in the region of $300-$340m. Such figures would place it well inside the top 15 openings of all time.